Just like Wednesday night's debut, the second night of "Big Brother's" 16th season did better in the ratings than the most comparable episode last year.

The privacy-deprivation reality show drew 6.56 million total viewers on average, or 6% better than the first Thursday episode of Season 15 that aired a couple weeks into the cycle.

Among key 18- to 49-year-olds, Thursday night's episode introducing the last eight of the 16 new house guests earned a rating of 2.3 (a ratings point equals about 1.3 million viewers). The number was up two-tenths of a point, or nearly 10%, from last year. It was also the highest-rated show on broadcast TV in prime time.

Wednesday night's premiere averaged 6.64 million viewers, up about 2% from a year ago, and improved a tenth of a point to a 2.3.

On ABC, the second episode of the new "Rookie Blue" season fell 27% from last week's premiere to a 0.8 in 18-49, going head to head with "Big Brother."

The Disney network's "NY Med" opened its second season with 5.5 million viewers, giving the show its most-watched episode ever, and a 0.9 in 18-49. That was an improvement from the "Rookie Blue" lead-in. The first season debuted two summers ago with a 1.2 in the demo.

NBC's "Undateable" held up decently against "Big Brother," falling 11% week-to-week to a 0.8. So did Fox's rookie cop series "Gang Related," flat with last week's 0.8, while Gordon Ramsay's "Hell's Kitchen" on Fox also essentially held the line, dipping 6% to a 1.7.